Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-08-20

But who was to be the executionerl A
dreadful thought flashed into her mind and
made her heart stand still, but she dismissed
it. She had not come to that yet. Her eyes
wandered round the kennel and lit upon
Jantje's assegais and sticks in the corner, aud
then she got another inspiration. Jantje
should do the deed. John had told her one
day-told her, when they were sitting to-
gether in 1.-THE Palatial" at Pretoria-ths
whole Of Jantie's awful story about the nae,
sacre Of his relatives by Frank Muller twenty
years before, Of which, indeed, she already
knew something. 1t would he most fitting
that this fend should be removed Off the face
of the earth by the survivor of those unfortu-
mates. There would be a little poetic Justice
about that, and it is SO rare in the world.
the question was, would he do it, The
little man was a wonderful coward, that she
knew, and had . great terror Of Beers, and
especially of Frank Muller.
Jamie" she whispered, putting her head
toward the bee hole.
"fes, missile" answered . hoarse voice out
side, and next second his monkey like face
came creeping into the ring of light, followed
by his even more monkey like form.
"Sit down there, Jantje. am lonely
here, and want to talk"
He obeyed her, with q grin. "What shall
we talk about, missile. Shall I tell you q
story Of the time when the beasts used to,
speak like l used to dc years and years ago."
"No, Jantje. Tell mo about that stick
that long stick with a knob on the top, and
tho hicks cut on it. Has it not something to
do with Frank Muller"
The Hottentot1s face instantly grew evil.
"Yah, yah, missie!" he said, reaching out a
skinny claw and Selling the stick. "Look,
that big notch, that is my father, Baas
Frank shot him; and that next notch, that is
my mother, Baas Frank shot her; and the
next one, that is my uncle, an old, old man,
Baas Frank shot him, too. And these small
notches, they are where he has beaten me-
yes, and other things, too. And now l will
make moro notches-one for the house that
is burned, and one for the old Baas Croft,
my W baas, whom he is going to shoot,
and one for Missile Bessie" And without
further ado he drew from his side a very
large, white handled hunting knife, and be-
gan to cut them then and there upon the
hard wood of the stick.
jess knew this knife OF old. 1t was Jantje's
peculiar treasure, the chief Joy of his narrow
little heart. He had bought it from a Zulu
for a heifer which her uncle had given him
in lieu of u half years wages. The Zulu had
got it from a man who came down from be-
You'd Delagoa bay. AS a matter of fact it was
a Samali knife, manufactured from soft ma
tive steel (which takes an edge like Il razor,
and with a handle cut from the t,ss of II hip
popotamus. For the rest, it was about n foot
long, with three grooves running the length
of tho blade, and very heavy.
"Stop cutting notchcs, Jantje, and let me
look ut that knife"
He obeyed, and put it into her hand.
THAT knife would kill q man, Jantje," she
said.
"Yes, yes" he answered; mo doubt it has
killed many men,"
at would kill Frank Muller, now, would it
notr' she said, suddenly bending forward and
fixing her dark eyes upon the little mans
jaundiccd orbs.
"Yah, yah," he said, starting back. sit
would kill him dead. Ali What a thing it
would be to kill him. he added, with a fierce
half snigglc, half laugh.
"Hc killed your father, Jamie"
"Yah, yah, he killed my father" said
Jantje, his eyes beginning to roll with rage.
"He killed your mother"
"Yah, lie killed my mother" lie repeated
after her with eager ferocity.
"And your uncle. He killed your uncle"
"And my uncle, too he went on, shaking
his fist and %twitching his long toes rs his voice
rose to u sort of subducd scream. "But he
will die in blood-tho old Englislwoman, his
mother, said 1t when the devil was in her, and
tho devils never lie. Look! I draw Bans
Franks circle in the dust with my toe, and
listen. 1 say,the words-l say the words,' and
he muttered something rapidly; IAN old, old
witch doctor taught me how to do it, and
what to say. Once before l did it, and there
was a stone i'll tho way; now there is nc stonr;
look, the ends meet. He will die in blood. He
will die soon. know how TO read the circle,
and lie CRASHED his teeth and saved tho cir
with his clinched fists.
eyes, you arc right, Jantje," she said, still
holding him with her dark eyes. "He will
die in blood, and he shall die tonight, and
you will kill him, J%antjc,"
The Hottentot started, M turned pal.
under his yellow skin.
"HowY' he said: "howN
Bend forward, Jantje, and l will tell you
how" and she whispered for some minutes
into his ear.